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ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism in Children and Adolescents
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder often characterised by social and communication difficulties. Autism is a ‘spectrum’ disorder, which means that characteristics can vary significantly between individuals. It is incredibly complex, but the first step to learning to support your child is with a professional assessment. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterised by difficulties with social communication, interacting with others and restrictive or repetitive behaviours or interests.
The term ‘spectrum’ means that the characteristics of autism will vary, often wildly, between individuals, which is why a detailed assessment which explores their strengths and challenges is needed. Many people in the ‘neurotypical’ population will have autistic traits, but do not meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis.
In recent years, the USA has moved to reduce the different classifications used to describe someone who is on the autism spectrum, which has previously included Asperger’s. It is likely that the UK will follow this revised system of classification and the ICD-10 (the manual Psychiatrists use when diagnosing conditions) is being revised. This understandably can make it confusing for families and individuals.
Signs of autism
In some children, the signs of autism are very obvious, and they may be diagnosed with ASD from an early age. But for other children, the symptoms of autism are more subtle and harder to pick up. Some children have certain strengths that enable them to mask some of their difficulties with social communication and interaction – these can make it harder when you are thinking of seeking a formal diagnosis. An autism assessment should look at all areas of a child’s life, both at home and school, and will take into consideration the views of many of the adults in your child’s life. This feedback helps the clinicians to ensure they are looking holistically at your child’s difficulties and whether they meet the criteria of autism.
Early diagnosis of autism can make a real difference to the child and their family. Adjustments can be put in place, which will help the child thrive in their environment and achieve their full potential. A diagnosis of autism can help both the child, their family and their school understand certain behavioural characteristics.
Autism Diagnosis for your child
An autism diagnosis has many benefits, including:
- Creating an understanding of why your child finds certain things challenging.
- Ensuring your child has the correct support around them to enable them to thrive.
- Enabling other conditions, such as depression, depression or ADHD to be detected.
- Giving your child a way to understand why they find some things difficult compared to other children.
Treatment/ Support for Autism
The following types of therapy can have a significant impact on your child’s quality of life:
- CBT
- Family therapy
- Social skills training
- Communication skills training
- Speech and Language therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Educational support
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does an Autism Spectrum Disorder assessment look like and what can you expect?
Before the assessment, you will be sent a questionnaire to complete which needs to be completed 48 hours prior to the appointment.
The assessment consists of an ADI-R interview with the parent and a brief play-based assessment with the child or interview with the adolescent which is called ADOS informed assessment. That may lead to a diagnosis. If a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder is made, there will often follow a free-floating discussion in which you can ask for clarifications and explanations.
Although autism is not an illness that can be treated with medication as such, there are symptoms and phenomena that may respond to treatment, and this will be discussed and a treatment plan formulated if that is appropriate.
All the findings as well as any treatment plan will be summarised in a report, which is held securely in our practice system: which will be sent by email, which will enable you to download the report in pdf format and save or print it. The report is your property: you can choose to share it with others (e.g. your GP), but you do not have to. Before the final version is shared with you, you can ask for amendments if you think something important is forgotten or a detail is wrong.
The prescription for any medication is £ 75, but you will have to pay a pharmacy for the medication itself.
We normally recommend using a pharmacy that delivers the medication to you, as it is more secure. They are called Pharmacierge, and we can arrange for the prescription to be sent to them directly: you will get a payment link from them on your mobile phone and once you have paid, they will deliver the medication to you: within 24hrs if you are within the London area and within 48hrs anywhere else in the UK.
Often people just want to know if they have autism or not and, in those cases, there may not be a need for further follow-up. But sometimes there are issues in someone’s life that are the consequence of autism and have a detrimental effect on e.g. work or relationships. In such cases follow up sessions can be arranged to explore these matters further and to find out how best to manage them.
The report will be accompanied by a list of sources of information and potential support, including a reading list and a list of web-based resources, scrutinized for trustworthiness.
We use the terms Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome interchangeably: the first is a wider term, covering a range of presentations whereas the latter is more defined. There is a debate about which name is correct: we consider these debates largely ideological and not scientific and such opinions vary over time. It is noteworthy that many people with Asperger's Syndrome prefer that name, over the term ASD. We feel that it is up to people with autism themselves to decide what name they prefer.